Space salads: Research shows why greens for astronauts get infected under microgravity

The weightlessness of the International Space Station (ISS) might not be the ideal environment for cultivating healthy greens or salads for astronauts. Fascinatingresearch from the University of Delaware has thrown some light as to what may be wrong and why space-grown salads are prone to get contaminated with bacteria.

NASA has been including space-grown lettuce on the ISS menu for over three years now. This is carefully nurtured in control chambers that replicate the necessary conditions for plant growth.

However, a new study, published in Scientific Reports and npj Microgravity, revealed a potential health risk associated with these leafy greens. The ISS harbours pathogenic bacteria and fungi, and these microbes could pose a threat to the health of astronauts.

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The concern is not just about the well-being of the spacefarers but also the possibility of a foodborne illness outbreak derailing a space mission, considering the substantial investment in space exploration by entities like NASA and SpaceX.

The study conducted by the University of Delaware researchers involved growing lettuce in conditions simulating the weightless environment of the ISS.

Surprisingly, the plants exposed to simulated microgravity were found to be more susceptible to infections from Salmonella as the plant's stomata, from where it breathes, remain open under space conditions.

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Noah Totsline, the lead author of the paper said, "The fact that they were remaining open when we were presenting them with what would appear to be a stress was really unexpected."

To mimic microgravity, the researchers used a clinostat, a device that rotates plants, confusing the plant's response to gravity. The findings revealed that Salmonella could enter leaf tissue more easily under space conditions than on Earth and so after rotating, which confused the plant, the stomata was observed to be closed.

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The researchers also introduced a helper bacterium called B. subtilis UD1022, known for promoting plant growth.However, in space-like conditions, UD1022 failed to protect plants."The failure of UD1022 to close stomata under simulated microgravity is both surprising and interesting and opens another can of worms," said Harsh Bais, a plant biology professor involved in the research.

(With inputs from agencies)